1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a betting apparatus for game configured to allow one or more players to bet one or more gaming chips in a game such as roulette.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent documents 1 (Japanese Published Unexamined Application No. 2004-105321) and 2 (Japanese Published Unexamined Application No. 2004-102953) disclose a betting apparatus for game configured to arrange X-array antennas for emitting radio waves along an X-direction (e.g., lateral direction) of betting board and Y-array antennas for emitting radio waves along a Y-direction (e.g., longitudinal direction) of betting board under the betting board, so as to read information stored in a wireless IC tag embedded in a gaming chip placed on the betting board. When an X-array antenna and a Y-array antenna emit radio waves, a magnetic field is generated in an upward direction vertical to the betting board at the cross point where the X-array antenna crosses the Y-array antenna. The betting apparatus reads information stored in a wireless IC tag embedded in a gaming chip placed on each cross point using a magnetic field, in series.
A betting board of a table game such as roulette used in a casino has a frame on an upper surface thereof. The upper surface is divided into betting regions by the frame. A player places one or more gaming chips on one or more betting regions to bet the one or more gaming chips. Then, a betting apparatus for game reads information stored in a wireless IC tag embedded in a gaming chip placed on each betting region.
As shown in FIG. 1, an upper surface 101 of a betting board is divided into betting regions 103 by a frame 102. It is noted that FIG. 1 illustrates a part of the betting regions 103.
In order to read information stored in a wireless IC tag embedded in a gaming chip placed on a betting region 103, as shown in FIG. 2, antennas (loop antennas) 104 are arranged in the betting board. Each antenna 104 is arranged to each betting region 103 and is arranged along the frame 102 which divides adjacent betting regions 103. Antennas 104 (A1 to A6) shown in FIG. 2 are arranged to betting regions 103 shown in FIG. 1, respectively.
FIG. 3 illustrates the arrangement relation between gaming chips 105 placed on the upper surface 101 and the antennas 104 (A1 to A6). Plural pieces of information stored in wireless IC tags embedded in the gaming chips 105 are read by corresponding antennas 104 (A1, A5 and A6). Namely, when the corresponding antennas 104 generate magnetic fields in the upward direction vertical to the betting board, the wireless IC tags embedded in the gaming chips 105 are electrified and then transmit the plural pieces of information. The plural pieces of information transmitted are read by the corresponding antennas 104 or antennas other than the corresponding antennas 104. Even if plural gaming chips 105 are stacked on the upper surface 101 in layers, a single antenna 104 can read plural pieces of information stored in wireless IC tags embedded in the plural gaming chips 105 stacked. A betting apparatus for game switches the corresponding antennas 104 in series, to carry out the reading operation with respect to the wireless IC tags embedded in the gaming chips 105. Thereby, the betting apparatus can read the plural pieces of information stored in the wireless IC tags embedded in all gaming chips 105 placed on the betting board.
Magnetic lines of magnetic field generated by an antenna 104 are formed in concentric loops. So, if the magnitude of magnetic force is too large, an antenna 104 is likely to read another information stored in a wireless IC tag embedded in another gaming chip 105 placed on another betting region 103 adjacent to a betting region 103 corresponding to the antenna 104, due to magnetic field generated by the antenna 104.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the antenna 104 (A5) reads information stored in the wireless IC tag embedded in the gaming chip 105 placed on the betting region 103 corresponding to the antenna 104 (A5), the antenna 104 (A5) is likely to read another information stored in the wireless IC tag embedded in another gaming chip 105 placed on another betting region 103 corresponding to the antenna 104 (A6) adjacent to the betting region 103 corresponding to the antenna 104 (A5).